Biomarkers, a Mobile Laboratory and a Three-Decade HorizonThe Illinois Firefighter Cancer Risk Study is built to close that gap by measuring exposure directly rather than inferring it. The reasonable action for firefighters is enrolling in the Illinois study or the national registry. It joined the Illinois Firefighter Cancer Risk Study run through the University of Illinois, in which participating firefighters provide blood and urine samples, complete health questionnaires and log fire exposures over a study period lasting up to 30 years. Participants receive periodic health screening and biomarker testing that individual departments generally cannot fund, along with contributing data toward prevention research. Existing recommendations on gear decontamination, respiratory protection through overhaul, and routine cancer screening remain the standard.